Grains of Sand: The Perils of Zombie Education

Grains of Sand: The Perils of Zombie Education: I am sharing an article about education written by William J. Astore, the editor of the Opinion Section of truthout.org . Consistent wit...

Thought for Food

Yeah, thought for food. Just like food for thought, but in reverse. This whole lifestyle change is starting to become automatic for me. Yay!! Today I spent the day snacking, which usually leaves me feeling weird and kind of disconnected from body, over stimulated, and just plain ol' weird. However- (and this is a big deal)- I didn't know it. I had no idea until I did things differently. Its okay to snack- but its what you snack on that makes all the difference. Lets call this the Snack Revolution! 'Cause every little tiny bit helps the cause. And every little thing we do that is not a solution only adds to the problem.

Yeah this. In reverse.

So.... giving some thought to my food is teaching me to take responsibility for my world, on way many more levels that simply what I eat. On a day after eating crap,  feeling out of touch with reality and cranky, can leave me making a snap decision from a bad place and alter the course of my life. Seriously- no one should be making big decisions after a day of eating oreos and drinking cokes. or grabbing fast food for lunch after a coffee breakfast.

Like Ebenezer Scrooge said to the first ghost, Jacob Marley, who visited him in A Christmas Carol- he said to the ghost, " You may be an undigested bit of beef, a blot of mustard, ... " Even Dickens knew that food has its affects on the mind. Food affects everything central to our own well being, be it mental, emotional, physical. We are so disconnected from our own selves that it really doesn't bother us, to read something like this. We can read it and somehow feel like it simply doesn't apply to us. I did it a million times.

I know. I totally know. I never cared- when it came to my health- well, I always felt healthy. I have always been able to eat what I want and just be fine, I never saw any repercussions.  But I do feel different now, when previously I thought that I couldn't possibly feel better than I did already. Bah, Humbug.  Like Scrooge, who doesn't want to look at his past, his present, his future, the way he impacted those in his life, or the way his impact on them impacted those in their life with a profound rippling effect. No one wants to- you, reading this right now, don't want to. Or you may look at one thing but avoid looking at the *big* thing. I do that all the time!!!! I have quit drinking and doing any mind altering substances, got out of a bad marriage, I have sought to improve my life in many, many ways- but food was really going to be my last stand- I was determined not to change a thing. Food is just so....personal.

So...today. I haven't had a proper meal, I snacked all day. But I snacked on Mary's Gone Crackers, which are crackers full of chia seeds and flax seeds and quinoa- sooooo yummy. No GMOs, no gluten, all organic- the exact thing that I would have rolled my eyes at 2 months ago. I dip them in some amazing stuff called Nary Dairy- which is this sort of fake cheese dip with the texture of hummus, made out of cashew butter. I get it at my local farmer's market. Its delish. And I ate a banana, and some organic milk chocolate from trader Joe's.

Nary Dairy is sooo yummy! I like Chia Cheddar best.

Why the hell am I talking to you about what I snacked on today? Because it was the kind of day we all have, where there is no time to actually eat, and that is when we throw all our thoughts for food out the window and grab what we can. The bad guys at McHappylife, Inc., love it when we are like this. That is when we stop at a fast food place- in a hurry, blood sugar dropping, stressed out. Its when we are weak. Fuck that noise.

I prepared myself. I left the house today with my little snacky snacks. I am not giving a dime to those skeezy corporate sh*theads, and its my goal never to do so again. No more fast food or the easy bag of chips full of GMOs, just to 'tide me over'. Its seems like such a tiny thing to do- but if we all did it, we could put those fast food guys out of business. We could- I know its almost an impossibility, but think about it. If we could unite the people of the US, if we could get them all to stop eating all fast food, we could shut them down. If we didn't buy any products containing GMOs, Monsanto's stock would continue to drop. We have the power to make change. its not like we need to strap a bomb to our chest and walk in a McDonalds. In a capitalist society, the power is actually in the hands of the consumers.  If we don't like something, if we see the red flags, we need to talk to our friends, or families, or neighbors, at parties- and talk about what is going on, plant the seed for a different approach. We can stop them by not buying their crap. If their crap is not bought, then they will die.

The American Dream realized.

I know there will never be a way to get everyone on the same page. But if we tried to, we'd at least get a lot of them thinking different. We all have facebook. We all have email. If nothing else- share this blog! Let it speak to as many people as possible. 

Okay, so then what. How do we change? Read about GMOs. Get the Buycott app so you don't purchase things with GMOs in them. Talk about it. read this blog. Change some small thing in your life this week, and then maybe next week, see what new thing of value and sustainability you can add to your life while removing something that supports the decline of civilization.  I am taking baby steps in the right direction, and if I can do it, you can, too! Trust me, I am one of the worst case scenarios and die hard white trash food eater. We can do this thing. OCCUPY YOURSELF!!!

Hell to the Yes Non GMO Liquid Salad with Mango Sorbet

 

 

So- check it out. I drink two cups of this every day. What I am about to show you how to make will make two 16 ounce cups- and its really yummy so you won't be holding your nose while you drink it.  

That is one cup of kale and one cup of spinach from my local farmer's market. There is no way that I would ever eat that much green stuff in one day- at least, not yet. I still have to force down vegetables, but I am slowly but surely learning to train my taste buds. I don't want to be a slave to anything- not even myself. Thus the phrase "OCCUPY YOURSELF".

 

 

 

 

 

 

After I throw in one cup of kale and one cup of spinach, I put in about a half cup of almond or coconut milk and blend. It ends up looking like this-

 

Yeah, that's a picture of Ray Charles in the back, which I thought looked better than our crusty old toaster. After it looks like this, I add 6 big or 10 small strawberries from the farmer's market. After that, a banana. Sometimes I add yogurt, or 16 raw almonds, depending on what I have on hand. Almonds are crazy good for you, and 16 constitutes a serving.
 

Next I add either 2 tablespoons of chia seeds or the same amount of flax seeds. These things are little superfoods and have more nutrients and omega fatty acids and antioxidants than you can shake a stick at. You can double up if you want to, but then the smoothie gets really gloopy and you need a spoon to eat it.

 

Sometimes I need to add more almond milk to get the consistency right. Then I add a few scoops of mango sorbet, just to make it sweet and something I really look forward to drinking. I still need to psyche myself out- while I want to retrain my tastebuds, I can't completely ignore the fact that I appreciate sweetness and, as Mary Poppins says, a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.

 

Hell to the Yes Non GMO Liquid Salad with Mango Sorbet

 

So- I know what you are thinking. That doesn't look very good. I wouldn't think so, either, but when I look at all the really powerfully nutrient dense foods that went into it, I am thankful for such a thing as blenders! This makes two very full cups, and I gulp them both down. Why not? Its yummy. I look forward to it.

This stuff almost all comes from my farmer's market in my area, except the seeds, almond milk, and mango sorbet. Drinking a big cup of this is like saying Up Yours to Monsanto and the GMO creeps who seek to dominate the world's food supply. And- it doesn't hurt that its super healthy, and could stave off illnesses that would require medicine and doctor bills- yet another corporation I am not trying to give my hard earned dollars to. This revolution takes place in the kitchen, but its impact is like butterfly wings that create a hurricane on the other side of the world- if we all did it, the world would change. And if the zombie apocalypse ever did come, we know who is gonna outrun those suckers.

The Red Pill, or the Blue Pill?

So.... I kind of freaked out today when I read that in 2009, Americans spent 217 million dollars on Wonderbread. How awesome is that branding? I went on google today and searched it, and there are people talking about how just seeing the packaging makes them teary eyed for their youth. This is just more of my rant about the brilliance of branding to Americans- especially when they are young- and how we just don't stand a chance. But I'm not really just ranting here- it bothers me, because I have kids, and I don't want them to buy the processed food products because somehow they were sucked into a colorful logo, or a familiar jingle- and this is the EXACT reason I haven't had television in my house for many years. I don't want to be sold anything when I am in my home. No magazine, no radio- but a heck of a lot of Netflix zombie shows these days!

When my generation were kids, we only had 3 channels to watch. We watched whatever was on- be it Gilligan's Island or Dallas- we watched it. So the branding gurus had a very attentive audience. I believe that was what made so much of those old jingles we are now nostalgic for successful. If it was scheduled to air during Saturday morning cartoons (there was a golden time slot devoted to kids, and we were devoted to it) then we, in our memories, tie up the brand with that soft and gentle time, splayed out in front of the console with a bowl of Corn Pops. They know how to market to us, when to market to us, and they got us by the short and curlies. We are still loyal to many of those brands today- and its this loyalty I continue to question.

BAAAAA-AAAAA-AAAA

In considering brand loyalty, it brings to mind the idea that we simply accept certain information and don't question it. Of course, when you are a kid, why would you? But it sets up this pattern of being lured in to a certain state of compliance by the messages they feed us. (Who are they? The corporate fat cats who make $217million off you eating their crappy bread, for example. Its worth it to them to pay psychological branding experts to sedate you with images and ideas. Or the companies who are now not even regulated by federal laws- what the hell is that? This makes them more powerful that you can even imagine.) This blind acceptance of someone else's ideas of what should be desirable or acceptable is a dangerous thing. It would sound very conspiracy theorist to suggest that perhaps they have been programming us for some time to be docile and accepting- it would sound a bit radical to suggest that they have been doing it and keep getting better at it and have been and continue to use this to...ever...so...subtly...enslave us. (Us-the ever shrinking middle class. We are sicker, we make less money, we have fewer benefits and poor educational systems, a gallon of milk costs a minimum wage laborer half an hour of their life to buy- you know, the American Dream.)  So... lets just say I am not suggesting it. But I leave it for your consideration, all the same.

 

RED PILL, OR BLUE PIILL?

How many Americans will flat our refuse to question the things they have come to accept as part of their lifestyle?  I know that a small percentage will rise to the challenge. Comfort is a motivating factor in the first world we live in. Who cares if its full of ground up chicken feet and intestines and feathers, and bleach, and food dye, and if they had to bleach the meat so much that it lost its flavor and so they had to add chicken flavor and also some color to the now pasty looking substance that they pass off as chicken McNuggets? I recently posted the video at the pervious link, and had more than a few people say, even after watching it- "Oh, but they are so good!" At this level, isn't that beside the point? Who but someone who has been hypnotized into being the perfect consumer since childhood could not see the evil in this food product? And this is what makes me sad. And....I get it, too. I was slow to heed the call. I tried to ignore it. I didn't want to give up the way I was living my life. Ignorance isn't bliss, it just seems that way- just ask the moms who took the sleeping aid thalidomide in the 50s. Ever heard the term thalidomide baby? They were blissful too, until their babies were born without arms. This, I agree, is a drastic example. They are much more subtle now. Stuff like cancer can't be pinpointed to food exactly, even though most processed foods have enough trace amounts of carcinogens that in combination can add up to more than enough to kill. THAT is not a joke.

Wow. I didn't mean to this far- but right now I am just winging it. I sat down to write and I wasn't sure what I was going to say. I think that the point of it all is that the antidote to the evil foodmongers is simply for all of us to be informed- and to be open to the information. Maybe we hear it all, take it into consideration, and THEN choose to continue eating processed, GMO laden foods. That is anyone's choice. But to simply refuse to know- come on now. Who wants to be a sheep with a ring in their nose?  I don't, but I also don't want it for you and your family, either.

OCCUPY YOURSELF begins with questioning and curiosity. What have you just allowed yourself to accept as your life? What parts of your life did you choose with your eyes open, of your own free will, and which parts were doled out by society, media, parental beliefs, or outmoded ideas about life?

JUST KIDDING- I am not suggesting you go that deep yet. That's why food is such a great place to start. Once you start there, it takes on a life of its own. That is why revolutionary eating is so radical- its not just about food, when you get right down to it.  Its the beginning of everything, and its how we can wage a protest without blood shed or arrests or pepper spray or rubber bullets.  Our best revenge is to be healthy, to take back our minds, to shut out the sales pitches and investigate what we put into our bodies and mouths and minds, and to help wake up others through any and all outlets- however!  Vive Le Resistance!

Radical Recipes/ What to Eat Instead of Macaroni and Cheese

One of the challenges of changing one's eating habits is finding replacements for the old stand bys. On any given day, I would naturally reach for Kraft mac and cheese. Its easy, its always there, its comforting and filling, etc., etc.

Here is something I found to replace it. Pasta alla checca. Its so easy- its actually easier than macaroni. For 6 bucks, you can feed 4, or have leftovers to nibble on for days. And it takes about 10 minutes to make.

Here is what you will need-

4 tomatoes
olive oil
garlic
fresh basil
cappellini pasta (or angel hair)- best to use a non-wheat pasta but that is your preference

All of that stuff you can pick up at your local farmer's market (except the pasta), which is the whole point of this lifestyle change for me. Although- I have to admit I love Trader Joe's frozen chopped garlic cubes so I don't have to deal with chopping the garlic and having stinky fingers.

First, put the oil in a pan- I use a big ol' wok. Add the garlic and put on medium heat. If you are going to use a whole box of pasta, then use about 3/4 cup of oil, and lots of garlic. (With the Trader Joe's garlic cubes, I use 5). Then put the water on to boil for pasta

While that is simmering, cut up the tomatoes and put them in the oil. Let all that simmer and chop up basil. Toss that in with the tomatoes and oil.

When the water is boiling, put in the pasta. Because its so thin, it will only take 3 minutes. Drain the pasta and throw it into the pan with the oil and tomatoes and basil, like so-

Mix it all up together to make sure all the pasta is coated. Add parmesan cheese if that's your thing and serve it up.


I love making this because it looks so fancy- truly, it looks and tastes like something you would order at some boutique-y little Italian place- because it is. I always ordered this at Vitello's for $15 a plate. The total cost for making this dish- which will easily feed 4- $6.

The best news of all- if you buy from your local farmer's market, you are supporting local farmers. You are not supporting produce that is flown in from other countries- which requires resources like fuel for the plane, the trucks, etc. Plus produce from other countries is picked before its actually ripe so it can make the long trip, and when it isn't vine ripened then it loses flavor and nutrients. And above all you know it contains no GMOs. No Monsanto crap has tainted this food- its pure. You saw to that. Good for you! This is revolutionary eating! Especially for those of us who are learning.


                  OCCUPY YOURSELF!!!

Bill Maher Speaks Out Against Monsanto

Bill Maher speaks out against Monsanto and GMOs. Go get 'em, Bill! This is a great clip!

I GROK YOU

GROK

If you don't know what grok means, you are in for a treat. its one of my favorite words. Here is what Wikipedia has to say about it-

To grok /ˈɡrɒk/ is to intimately and completely share the same reality or line of thinking with another physical or conceptual entity. Author Robert A. Heinlein coined the term in his best-selling 1961 book Stranger in a Strange Land. In Heinlein's view, grokking is the intermingling of intelligence that necessarily affects both the observer and the observed. From the novel:

Grok means to understand so thoroughly that the observer becomes a part of the observed—to merge, blend, intermarry, lose identity in group experience. It means almost everything that we mean by religion, philosophy, and science—and it means as little to us (because of our Earthling assumptions) as color means to a blind man.

( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grok)

So- I grok you. I get you, whoever you are, and at whatever phase of your own personal development you are in- I get it. I get you. And I write this blog because not only do I grok you, but I want you to grok me, too. Not me- actually I don't mean that. I mean this, exactly- I am not writing this blog so you like me, I am writing it because I care about you, and I want you to understand what I care about for your future in such a way that we get on the same page and do something about this grim future into which we are all hurtling headlong.

Because I care about YOU, and your children- both born and yet to be, and your grandchildren and their grandchildren, I write this blog to share my journey into living consciously and in accord with the needs of the planet. This planet, the one that the power mad and supremely bad corporatocracy is killing off. And not just the needs of the planet, but the people on it, who are being poisoned, lied to, misled, bled dry. Not to mention the bigger atrocities, about which we all hear on the news daily.

One can not be on a mission for everything and all issues, so I chose issues that I can actually do, on a daily basis, to be one less contributor to the problem. And the more people I can reach with this message, the more people who start to become aware and do things differently, the better the chances we all have. I don't know how to stop the atrocities that are so rampant- but every day I can not support any companies that put out food with GMOs, I can not eat any fast food, I can use recycled bags for groceries and turn off lights and shop local as much as possible, I can learn to raise bees and grow gardens and teach people how to do it, and I can help try to shed light on what it means to OCCUPY YOURSELF, in blogs such as this. Crawling leads to walking leads to running- but we all have to start somewhere.

OCCUPY YOURSELF is an internal revolution, one that seeks to create change in oneself. And in so doing, others will be affected- they will see it, they will learn, and they may change too. Our kids are watching us (my kids are watching me) our friends, family, mates. We all have a circle of influence, and we can be the change the world needs inside those circles.

I will write more on OCCUPY YOURSELF in a later blog. This one is mostly just to say- whoever you are, I care about you. It is why I do what I do. I do this because I want you to know we have been programmed to be sheep and to accept the McHappylife that has been handed to us- I hope you question that. Start with the food you eat and I promise it will take on a life of its own. You will feel the spirit of revolution take over your whole being- and its an exciting feeling. I want you to have that. Its liberation at its finest, because it is the act of liberating yourself.

The more you share this blog, follow it, comment on it, the higher the google ranking, and the higher that is, the more people it will reach. Help me reach more people; help me reach YOU. Its time to change things. You don't have to throw a Molotov cocktail- you can throw out all your processed foods.

Accept no substitute- this is YOUR life- own it! OCCUPY YOURSELF!

I also have another blog which is more about the spiritual journey- this one is more about the cause. that one is more about the soul. But they both take place hand in hand, and speak to radical transformation and delightfully rambunctious, playful,and absolute organic authenticity. (howlinghive.blogspot.com)

A World Without Bees

 

This is a supermarket in a world without bees- the rest of that produce would undoubtedly be riddled with GMOs

 

 

 

                                                   Read more about the Beepocalypse

Revolutionary Eating- its not for sissies

Since I am writing this not so much for those who have mastered the art of revolutionary eating, but for those who are just bellying up to the bar like myself, I think its important to talk about the challenges inherent in this endeavor.

One of the challenges I have been writing a lot about is that of being blinded by branding- just see yesterday's post. Recently on facebook I posted- well hell, I will post it here, too- that awful behind the scenes look at the making of McDonald's chicken mcnuggets. Here, this is what I posted-

Its terrible, awful, nasty and BAD. There is nothing right about this. And its a staple for moms in a hurry to give to their kids. I've done it a thousand times, when my kids were younger. So I posted this on facebook, and someone said, "Yeah, but they sure are yummy!" Its exactly that sort of cavalier attitude, unconscious slavery to our tastebuds and unwillingness to question deeply that will destroy humankind. That's why its so important that there is an antidote, and that is why I call it 'revolutionary eating'.

So that is not only a brand issue- its McDonalds! What could possibly scream America more than McDonalds? But a taste bud issue. And that is a whole diabolical affair, the issue of our tastebuds. We don't train them, we haven't mastered them- they have mastered us. When it comes to eating, the tastebuds are like...like when we say a man thinks with his you know what. Our tastebuds dominate our good senses and we reach for the thing we simply want to taste at that moment.

I was at work yesterday, and we hadn't gotten in our food delivery, so the only thing that was appealing to me in the cupboards was my stash of Kraft Deluxe mac and cheese. This has been a lunchtime staple for me for so long, its a running joke in my workplace. Everyone laughs about my predilection for mac and cheese, and everyone knows not to touch those boxes when they see them on the shelf. I kid you not, its really like that. So, I was hungry. And there was a part of me that would have felt so satisfied by my mac and cheese, you have no idea. Its so easy! So fast! So yummy! But some other part of me said "No effing way. I'm not gonna eat that crap."

I am not used to listening to that part of myself. I would even go so far as to say that this part of myself didn't exist prior to a couple of months ago. Its like my body simply refused to partake, and it was louder and more insistent than my tastebuds.

So I ended up eating a peanut butter sandwich instead. Maybe not much better- it was JIF peanut butter, and I know that is on the no-no list, but its also on my short list of things I can't give up yet. Yet. Still, it was progress.

Today I went to work with a Tupperware of organic zucchini from the local farmer's market that I had marinated in garlic, cilantro, olive oil and lime juice. And I threw them in the skillet and cooked them up for lunch. The housekeeper, my dear friend Glendis, looked almost frightened. "Ashley, what is this? Dios Mio! What are you doing? This is not your food!" She said, eyes wide in shock. She knows. Its not a small thing. Its not only how I have identified myself but how others identify me- people would shake their heads at the way I would eat- and I thought it was cute!!! I really did.

The zucchini didn't satisfy me in the same way a big bowl of gooey fake cheese and macaroni product would have- its weird to not eat a processed, chemically enhanced flavor which is telling me its delicious- but my body was happy with it, and that's a new sensation and hasn't been categorized in my brain as satisfaction yet. Weird, right?  It is causing a new relationship with everything- because I am the type to find deeper hidden meanings in everything. For example- this scenario causes me to wonder in what other areas have I accepted, ne'- embraced with absolute vigor, a substitution? In what other areas have I allowed myself to be told what to like, what to think, what my preferences should be, and I followed along without questioning- and yet still felt like it was my very own idea? How many times have I smugly said- "I like what I like," as if that was answer enough? How do I really know what I like, when it comes right down to it, if I don't stop and ask myself why, who, what, how?

It just goes back to a concept I write a lot about in my other blog about recovery and spirituality-howlinghive.blogspot.com- I want to de-program myself, unlearn what I have learned, re-train myself in ways that are more in keeping with my core truth and values. That means I have to get to my core self, and that is a whole other story. I couldn't adopt revolutionary eating if I had not been examining my life already- I would have been too defensive, too stuck, too proud, too attached- it would have threatened too much and required too much to change so why even start? In short, I don't want to be a robot, programmed by every commercial jingle from my childhood, lulled into comfort by brands from my childhood.

I am ready for something completely different, in all areas of my life. For those of you that are new to this, you know how radical this can be. I feel you. This is NO BULLSHIT. But at the end of the day- you win. You win and the corporate foodfucks with their GMOs and toxic chemicals and hormones and false promises don't win. Sure, they may win in the grand scope of things, maybe- but they won't win YOU. That's why its revolutionary. You refuse to be a slave, a robot, a zombie. So do it, even if it is just baby steps. If you do, it will change your future, and if enough of us do it, it will change the future of the planet. Revolutionary eating is radical, and its the antidote to rampant apathetic zombification that is so obviously pandemic these days. Its not for sissies!!

I AM NOT A SHEEP

                                   I AM NOT A SHEEP!

This is a great example of how we get sucked into certain brands- when standing at the mayo section, I for one totally hear that old commercial- "bring out the Hellman's and bring out the best." Here is what they mean by the best. You get lured in by a jingle and then fed formaldehyde, cyanide, and GMOs. In a previous blog How the Machine Hooks Us in the Nose- I explore exactly this topic, and I am continuing to look into and DE-PROGRAM myself, because thats really what it boils down to. We get programmed like robots by the brand-masters and we don't really ever question it. 

 I AM NOT A SHEEP! I HOPE YOU AREN'T WILLING TO BE ONE, EITHER!

Honey bees- a short video of coolness

 

Urban Beekeeping- Visiting the Honeylove Bee Sanctuary

First day with the bees!

I spent the morning at the Honeylove Bee Sanctuary in Moorpark, which is basically California farmland that we Angelenos rarely ever see. I kind of love it out there. Its so wide open and rural and smells good- the older I get, the less I like the city.

It was especially intriguing to get to see the bees close up- you know how it is- we always see them fly by, usually we swat them away or, in some cases, run from them. Maybe we will get to watch one busy inside a flower for a minute- but to see them in their homes, up close is completely a different world.

All bees are female except the drones. Drones don't belong to any one hive, as the other honeybees do- they are loyal to their queen and their hive, but drones- the males, of which there are very few comparatively, can just up and leave the hive and be welcomed in at the next hive- they only need them to make more babies, they serve no other purpose than to mate with the queen.

It was neat to see the sacs where they store the pollen on their legs- I've never gotten close enough to see that, especially full of pollen.  I also didn't realize royal jelly is what they feed the queen- that is all she ever eats, and only the queen gets to eat it.

Their society is very ordered, each bee knows its job and its place, what to do and when to do it.

When the beekeeper Bill opened the hives, the smoke pacified the bees a little bit (they sense the smoke and the signal that they get is that a fire is near so to fill up on honey to take to the next hive that they will have to create- so they stick their heads into the combs and start eating honey, and that calms down a lot of them. The others spent a bit of time bashing into the beekeeper netting, or not paying any attention to us at all. But some were mad, and wanted to let us know it. I am glad they didn't sting me. They die after they sting you, their little intestines trailing out behind them like silk. I didn't want them to die from a misunderstanding- I wasn't there to hurt them.

I was kind of hoping that they would simply feel my bee love and that energy would be enough to create harmony, and docility on their part. I grew up on Disney as a child and did LSD as a teenager, so these flights of fancy happen from time to time. The reality is- bees are bees. They aren't there to love me or like me or even pay much attention to me- they've got shit to do! But I am fascinated with them, and that isn't going away any time soon.

Next- I need to learn how to catch feral swarms of bees! I can't wait.

Go check out the cool stuff Honeylove does- Honeylove website.

And here is a link to LA Weekly's Cover story this week about Urban Beekeeping in Los Angeles, featuring Rob and Chelsea who started Honeylove-LA Weekly Urban Beekeepers in LA article

 These folks spend a lot of time rescuing wild swarms and bringing them all the way out to Moorpark to introduce them to their new homes. These are really good and kind people doing something extraordinary!

The hives at Honeylove Bee Sanctuary

Drink Me!

Drink Me!

One of the things I have been doing, since turning over this new leaf, is making smoothies. Until I have taught my taste buds how to experience new things and connect to them emotionally (see my last blog- un-training and unchaining my emotional self to the brands and comfort foods of my childhood) I have to sort of cheat, and get in as many nutrients as possible in the form of a drink.

Bear in mind, I am speaking not to the converted- you guys know how to do this. For those people who, like me, have to almost get into the psychology behind the relationships to food in order to break them, and who have to go a little easy into it (radical moves can sometimes be 'too much' and yield unsuccessful results) I am giving you some pointers on how to make this shift so that it takes hold, and becomes a way of life.

So- the smoothie. Its easy, all you need is a regular blender. Here is what I put in mine-

1/2 cup almond milk and 1 cup kale- I blend all this up first
Then I put 20 raw almonds and blend that up
6 big strawberries or 10 small ones
1 banana
1 apple (you can keep the skin on, its good for you)

And, for flavor, (my kids like it this way and so do I) two spoonfuls of Trader Joe's mango sorbet

And finally, 2 tablespoons chia seeds

See below for nutrition information for kale, chia seeds, and almonds.

I love to see all the fruit and greens sitting out before I blend it all- its an entire meal, and there is no way I am ready to eat all of that yet. I am drinking the smoothies when I am at home and I feel myself having a hankering for something- that is usually the time I go in and make a bowl of Honeycombs cereal, or Oreos and milk. So I am teaching myself to replace that comfort seeking snack mechanism with something healthy for me and friendly to the earth, and which, above all, doesn't contribute to the GMO corporatocracy. Each smoothie is like giving my middle finger to The Man. Up yours, Monsanto!

And if you want to try some other smoothie recipes, check out my favorite place for recipes and ideas, Thug Kitchen, whose motto is- Eat Like You Give A Fuck-http://thugkitchen.com/page/7

 

 

Tomorrow I go to my first beekeeping mentoring class. We hope to get the laws changed so people in LA can keep bees in their back yards. Check out this week's LA Weekly article on Bee Fever- http://www.laweekly.com/2013-06-13/news/backwards-beekeepers-honeybees/full/. I will be updating with pictures on my bee adventures!

Why Chia Seeds?

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

• Chia seeds are one of the richest vegetable sources of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, and they offer these nutrients without cholesterol content. A 15 gram serving of chia seeds provides approximately 3 grams of Omega-3 and 1 gram of Omega-6. These essential fatty acids are necessary for good health, shown to aid in the prevention of many of the risk factors associated with heart disease, cancer, and other chronic health conditions. Omega fatty acids are not produced by the body, so it is necessary to obtain them from dietary sources or supplements.

Mineral , Protein, and Antioxidant Content

• Chia seeds are also a rich source of a wide variety of antioxidants, such as myrecetin, quercetin, kaemferol, caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, and vitamin C. Essential minerals are present in chia seeds in very high quantities, with a 15 gram serving providing 105 milligrams of potassium, 160 milligrams of phosphorous, 2.4 milligrams of iron, 59 milligrams of magnesium, 0.5 milligrams of zinc, and 107 milligrams of calcium. Chia seeds are 20 percent protein, and, unlike most vegetable proteins, the protein is a complete one. B vitamins are found in chia seeds, and they contain approximately 20 percent of the dietary fiber we need daily per serving.

Read more: Nutritional Value of Chia Seeds | eHow http://www.ehow.com/about_5531503_nutritional-value-chia-seeds.html#ixzz2WLduatze

What's the 411 on almonds?

Packed with Energy

Almonds have riboflavin, or vitamin B2, which is used by the body to complete red blood cell production and metabolize carbohydrates to provide you with energy. One serving of almonds contains almost 18 percent of your daily value of riboflavin. Also, a quarter-cup of almonds provides 45 percent of your daily value of manganese and 20 percent of copper. These two minerals are used by your body to produce enzymes that inhibit the release of free radicals, which are associated with the aging process.

Source of Protein

One serving of almonds contains 7.62 g of protein. For comparison, a typical egg contains only 5.54 g of protein. The recommended daily value of protein for a 2,000-calorie diet is 50 g per day, so a quarter-cup serving of almonds has approximately 15 percent of the recommended daily value for protein.

Additional Nutritional Facts

Twenty-three whole kernels of almonds supplies 5.6 g of carbohydrates, including 3.3 g of fiber, which is 13 percent of the daily recommended value of fiber. Almonds have no cholesterol and only a negligible amount of sodium. Almonds also contain around 206 mg of potassium compared with a banana, which contains 290 mg of potassium.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/260879-nutritional-value-of-raw-almonds/#ixzz2WLeBXS00

What is so great about Kale?

One cup of chopped kale contains 33 calories and 9% of the daily value of calcium, 206% of vitamin A, 134% of vitamin C, and a whopping 684% of vitamin K. It is also a good source of minerals copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus.
Kale’s health benefits are primarily linked to the high concentration and excellent source of antioxidant vitamins A, C, and K -- and sulphur-containing phytonutrients.
Carotenoids and flavonoids are the specific types of antioxidants associated with many of the anti-cancer health benefits. Kale is also rich in the eye-health promoting lutein and zeaxanthin compounds.
Beyond antioxidants, the fiber content of cruciferous kale binds bile acids and helps lower blood cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease, especially when kale is cooked instead of raw.

Super-Rich in Vitamin K

Eating a diet rich in the powerful antioxidant vitamin K can reduce the overall risk of developing or dying from cancer, according to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Vitamin K is abundant in kale but also found in parsley, spinach, collard greens, and animal products such as cheese.
Vitamin K is necessary for a wide variety of bodily functions, including normal blood clotting, antioxidant activity, and bone health.
But too much vitamin K can pose problems for some people. Anyone taking anticoagulants such as warfarin should avoid kale because the high level of vitamin K may interfere with the drugs. Consult your doctor before adding kale to your diet.
Kale might be a powerhouse of nutrients but is also contains oxalates, naturally occurring substances that can interfere with the absorption of calcium. Avoid eating calcium-rich foods like dairy at the same time as kale to prevent any problems.

Choosy Mothers - or, How the Machine Hooks Us in the Nose with Branding

Last night I decided to give my daughter a little presentation. We were in the kitchen, and I was making my daily fruit and kale shake. I started to show her the insidiousness of branding, and how far reaching the implications.

First I have to say that I have made a list of 6 items that I am not ready to give up yet. This is still an new endeavor for me, and I want to set myself up to succeed- and for me, that means that I can upheave all of my eating habits, but I will wean myself off my 6 no-nos slowly.

Choosy Mothers

So, having said that, you will understand why those items were even in my pantry in the first place. I grabbed the JIF peanut butter off the shelf and said to my kid, "Do you know why I am obsessed with this peanut butter? I have been told since I was a kid that this is the best peanut butter. "Choosy mothers choose JIF. They took our mothers hostage and made them think if they didn't get it, they were not choosy mothers. So then I pass my preference of peanut butter on to my kids. They start marketing to us as babies, with the whole knowledge that our emotional relationships to certain brands can stick to us for a lifetime."

Then I grabbed our container of Nestle Quik. "And see here, this freaking rabbit? This rabbit has been telling me to drink nestle Quik since I was knee high to a gnat. He was cute, he knew what I wanted- I wanted chocolate milk, and he wanted me to like Nestle brand, and I listened to him, here I am 35 years later, still listening!"

Finally I grabbed the Mother of all comfort food for latchkey kids in America- Kraft Mac and Cheese. "Now this, this is truly the best example of brand identification in American history, besides Coca Cola. This box of yummy, albeit crappy nothingness has been the staple food of kids, of moms to give to kids, of kids who are at home without mom, of college kids- its the comfort food of those kids who grew up...they cornered the market on comfort food."

She and I knew that the Kraft mac and cheese would be hard to give up. It will be, but I am not enforcing that one yet.

When I went to the Monsanto Rally and March on May 25, 2013 with a dear friend and a new friend, the new friend, Rebecca, turned to us and said, "The really disturbing thing is how much I am emotionally attached to certain brands. Not just the foods, but the brands themselves."

It is disturbing, especially when you consider that they had this plan all along. Those brander developers market to us young- the know we will get attached. they know we will feed it to our kids, turn to it for comfort- it will remind us of our childhoods- even the bloody jingles haunt us- "My bologna has a first name..its o-s-c-a-r." Who over the age of 35 doesn't know that one? Or the Libby commercial- "If it says Libby Libby Libby on the label label label you will like it like it like it on your table table table." These things embed into your consciousness. You don't even see it happening. Like sheep, they get the ring in our noses and then we belong to them for a lifetime. Unless we wake up and see that we have been programmed, like robots, and in that epiphany seek to be free agents.

And why wake up? Because these foods are filled with GMOs. GMOs are not to be trusted as safe for consumption, and these brands that we have been lulled into feeling safe and comforted by are delivering genetically modified organisms right into our trusting mouths and bodies, and that of our kids, and our grandkids.  Kraft, Nestle- two of the biggest bad boys on the list of tainted foods.

Below is a list of brands to avoid. It isn't easy! Like I said, I am keeping my 6 things, for now. As mentioned above, mac and cheese, Jif peanut butter, Nestle Quik, Coca Cola is the 5th and Oreos is the 6th. Other than these, I will not shop at a major grocery store. I buy most of my family's needs at the local farmer's market and Trader Joe's. I am learning to prepare different foods for dinner, and you know what? It feels good. It feels....strangely sexy. I can't explain it- just try it and see.

The Prince of Wales is a Radical Voice for the Future of Food

" The Oxford dictionary defines sustainability as 'keeping something going continuously". And the need to keep things going for future generations is quite frankly the reason I have been venturing into extremely dangerous territory by speaking about the future of food over the past 30 years. I have all the battle scars to prove it! Questioning the conventional world view is a risky business. And the only reason I have done so is for the sake of the younger generation and for the integrity of nature herself. It is your future that concerns me and that of your grandchildren, and theirs, too." HRH The Prince of Wales, in his legendary speech, the Future of Food.

THE FUTURE OF FOOD

ROCK ON, Prince Charles! There is a small book that is called The Future of Food that is this speech in print, and its an amazing read. I for one absorb information better on a page in a book, but this speech in its original form is no less compelling. Prince Charles is my new hero. Why aren't our elected officials showing this same concern? Maybe because they assume their children and grandchildren will be part of the elite of the future who will be able to afford real, naturally grown food, while the masses make do with the piss poor quality of food products that are available at their  capability to afford. The future will be no middle class- there will most likely be the poor, for whom lifetimes are spent eating foods that make them ill and paying for doctors to make them better only to eat the food that made them ill again. The rich will not suffer these problems. They will continue to thrive and be healthy and pampered. At least this is a very possible scenario if things don't change, and it looks as if this is the grand design of the whole insidious plot.

If you have read this, but haven't listened to the Prince's speech, please share it anyway. If you have watched it, and invested the time to enhance your understanding of your future, then I know you WILL share- but even those who don't take the time can still serve a greater purpose by sharing and resharing.

GENETIC ROULETTE

This trailer pretty much will either make you want, no, NEED, to know more, or it won't. If it doesn't, hopefully there will be enough of us who care that we will save your future generations for you. For sure, many people are asleep and want to stay asleep- these are the zombies of the world, shuffling along blind to anything but consuming. You might be one of those. That's okay. But you might just wake up and be a part of the solution. You might just realize that we are at a defining moment in human history, and the future is being decided right now, by people just like you, who are reluctant to give up some of our modern conveniences, but who realize it MUST happen, or the future is a bleak, bleak place.

Buying locally grown foods at your nearest farmer's market, using the BUYCOTT app to help you determine which brands not to buy- these are all Molotov cocktails in the revolution that won't be televised!

Who Is This Person?

Its not always easy to learn to do things differently.

On Sunday when I was walking through the farmer's market with my recycled bags chock full of green stuff  and fruit, I had one of those cool moments where you wonder, "Hey, who is this person???"   This is sooooo not me. And yet it feels exactly right. You have to understand, those of you who don't know me- up until about 6 weeks ago I nearly refused to eat fruit or vegetables and never drank water. (To be perfectly honest, I haven't tackled the water issue yet, so I am just blowing the whistle on myself right this instant). My epiphany to change my whole lifestyle around food is in a previous blog, but I do want to re-iterate- this isn't a 'get healthy' regime. This is a revolutionary stance.

Every time I eat something from the farmer's market, something locally grown, it is the biggest statement I can make- it is a pure 'f*ck you' to the major food corporations that seek to dominate the world food supply, tainted as it is with their genetically modified organisms.

Let me paint a brief but all to possible scenario. Monsanto and the other 'bad guys' dominate the world food supply. The bees, which are now dying in alarming numbers, all but die out, leaving the world to rely on Genetically Modified Foods, and their patented 'Super Bee'. Human who ingest this so called food- more like a food product- suffer from weakened immune systems- they get sick often, they are weaker, they are born with birth defects, their organs are deformed like the lab rats who have been fed GMO diets, they run greater and greater risk of cancer- and the humans, they work hard to PAY for this food that makes them sick. Then they work hard and pay for the healthcare, which, by the way, is also another corporate domination. Entire lives are lived working to buy food that causes one to work harder to buy medicine and healthcare. This is a watered down version of the Matrix- plugged into the cannibalizing dream machine. The very people who are in danger are mollified by social media, even giving all the details of their private lives- to the dreaded machine. And here is what it will look like, if people don't wake up- a future in which the only truly healthy people are the rich, who can afford to eat naturally grown foods.

I want to be very clear- I am not a conspiracy theorist. Not by a long shot. But when the ship is taking on water, you have to understand the next most likely scenario in order to act appropriately.

For me, that means a re-invention of my attitudes and habits around nearly everything- but I am starting with food. On Friday I got my first seedlings for the Living Garden Tower project- a tower made for the growing of gardens even in urban areas where soil and land to grow food is scarce.

 

Today I planted the seedlings in the Living Garden Towers.

 

I am starting with just one tower while I get the hang of it. I am not even sure what all I planted- tomatoes, zucchini, kale, some other cool edible stuff. And you know what? Doing all of this feels...sexy. It sounds counterintuitive, but I guess when you get into a cool groove that feels like you are doing good, it just feels amazing. Way better than being an unconscious consumer- like me chowing down on some giant ribs and a bucket of coke at a rib joint in Texas, below. Now don't get me wrong- that was some good eatin', but those days are over.

 

 

This Sunday I will begin my first day of beekeeping mentoring. More to come!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What is GMO?

Agricultural Crops That Have a Risk of Being GMO

GMOs, or “genetically modified organisms,” are plants or animals created through the gene splicing techniques of biotechnology (also called genetic engineering, or GE). This experimental technology merges DNA from different species, creating unstable combinations of plant, animal, bacterial and viral genes that cannot occur in nature or in traditional crossbreeding.

For consumers, it can be difficult to stay up-to-date on food ingredients that are at-risk of being genetically modified, as the list of at-risk agricultural ingredients is frequently changing. As part of the Non-GMO Project’s commitment to informed consumer choice, we work diligently to maintain an accurate list of risk ingredients.

Agricultural products are segmented into two groups: (1) those that are high-risk of being GMO because they are currently in commercial production, and (2) those that have a monitored risk because suspected or known incidents of contamination have occurred and/or the crops have genetically modified relatives in commercial production with which cross-pollination (and consequently contamination) is possible. For more information on the Non-GMO Project’s testing and verification of risk ingredients and processed foods, please see the Non-GMO Project Standard.

High-Risk Crops (in commercial production; ingredients derived from these must be tested every time prior to use in Non-GMO Project Verified products (as of December 2011):

• Alfalfa (first planting 2011)
• Canola (approx. 90% of U.S. crop)
• Corn (approx. 88% of U.S. crop in 2011)
• Cotton (approx. 90% of U.S. crop in 2011)
• Papaya (most of Hawaiian crop; approximately 988 acres)
• Soy (approx. 94% of U.S. crop in 2011)
• Sugar Beets (approx. 95% of U.S. crop in 2010)
• Zucchini and Yellow Summer Squash (approx. 25,000 acres)

ALSO high-risk: animal products (milk, meat, eggs, honey, etc.) because of contamination in feed.
Monitored Crops (those for which suspected or known incidents of contamination have occurred, and those crops which have genetically modified relatives in commercial production with which cross-pollination is possible; we test regularly to assess risk, and move to “High-Risk” category for ongoing testing if we see contamination):

• Beta vulgaris (e.g., chard, table beets)
• Brassica napa (e.g., rutabaga, Siberian kale)
• Brassica rapa (e.g., bok choy, mizuna, Chinese cabbage, turnip, rapini, tatsoi)
• Curcubita (acorn squash, delicata squash, patty pan)
• Flax
• Rice
• Wheat

Common Ingredients Derived from GMO Risk Crops
Amino Acids, Aspartame, Ascorbic Acid, Sodium Ascorbate, Vitamin C, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Ethanol, Flavorings (“natural” and “artificial”), High-Fructose Corn Syrup, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Lactic Acid, Maltodextrins, Molasses, Monosodium Glutamate, Sucrose, Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP), Xanthan Gum, Vitamins, Yeast Products.
You may also be wondering about…

• Tomatoes: In 1994, genetically modified Flavr Savr tomatoes became the first commercially produced GMOs. They were brought out of production just a few years later, in 1997, due to problems with flavor and ability to hold up in shipping. There are no genetically engineered tomatoes in commercial production, and tomatoes are considered “low-risk” by the Non-GMO Project Standard.
• Potatoes: Genetically modified NewLeaf potatoes were introduced by Monsanto in 1996. Due to consumer rejection by several fast-food chains and chip makers, the product was never successful and was discontinued in the spring of 2001. There are no genetically engineered potatoes in commercial production, and potatoes are considered “low-risk” by the Non-GMO Project Standard.
• Salmon: A company called AquaBounty is currently petitioning the FDA to approve its genetically engineered variety of salmon, which has met with fierce consumer resistance. Find out more here.
  
• Pigs: A genetically engineered variety of pig, called Enviropig was developed by scientists at the University of Guelph, with research starting in 1995 and government approval sought beginning in 2009. In 2012 the University announced an end to the Enviropig program, and the pigs themselves were euthanized in June 2012.

Borrowed from the website- http://www.nongmoproject.org. Please click the link and go learn more!

The Seeds of Revolution

It was not an instant transition. It began with a lot stubborn digging in my heels at the inevitable. And when I say digging in my heels, I mean flagrant disregard for my actions. Its funny how it happens, sometimes. One can feel so very spiritually connected- and in many respects, one can certainly be plugged in to something bigger, whatever name one might call the consciousness that animates everything. And in my case, one can blog tirelessly about miracles, epiphanies, revelations, and paradigm shifts, as I have done for the past two years, see my other blog howlinghive.blogspot.com. Its been the main thrust and purpose of my being- to be present to the miraculous, and to share my experiences, in hopes that others might also gain some insight and wonder in their own journeys.

 

So, I ain't mad at me. Like most, I do the best I can with what I have access to at the time. And in spite of all of this, I was still eating like a child. My staple foods being Kraft Deluxe macaroni and cheese, coca cola, and...well, mostly that. Maybe Oreos too. When it came to feeding my children, I was far more diligent in offering them a variety of healthy options. They would be likely to go in and snack on tomatoes or a salad, or Wheaties. For real- they would grab the box of Wheaties sitting next to my box of Honeycombs. So I felt pretty smug that I had done my job, as far as my kids go.

 

In early 2012, I was at a dinner party my friend threw, all of us strong women who were working on not kicking our own asses any more- as in, living a lifestyle of abstinence from alcohol and drugs. One friend started telling me about Monsanto. It was diabolical what she was saying. But even more diabolical was my response- I didn't want to hear it. I closed down. What she was saying threatened the very fiber of my being. Not, mind you, that I had that self evolved realization at that moment (that is pure hindsight) I just didn't want to hear it. In retrospect I can say that it posed a serious threat to me. If I were to hear her, it would be an overhaul of the way I live my life, and that seemed an impossible mission, unthinkable. I would have to accept total responsibility- because as far as all this went- I was the bad guy. Or- not bad. Just sleepwalking.

 

And for the next year I continued to eat my Wienershnitzel hot dogs on Saturday afternoons while running errands, and to eat my kid food, and to think nothing of it. See, I can eat what I want. Don't hate- I just have a metabolism that never forced me to reconsider what I put in my body. I could eat hotdogs and honeycombs and macaroni and cheese and oreos and I rarely got sick and never put on weight. When I think about my attachment to this way of eating, all I can think is that it made me feel like a kid. It was comfort food. I had cultivated an emotional relationship to certain brands- Kraft, Jif, Nabisco. My tastebuds asked for it and I was happy to appease them. It was totally unconscious. I tell myself that I want to live a deliberate life, that I make choices based on all the information I have in front of me- and as long as I didn't let that information about Monsanto get to me, then based on the information I allowed to cross my path- there was nothing wrong with it.

 

In the past couple of months, however, I could not avoid it. I can't remember the first thing I read, but I definitely saw it on facebook. And then I saw that a March Against Monsanto was coming up, and I decided to go. In the month in between the that moment and the march, I started reading all that I could, and I was floored by what I had, not so long ago, tried to block out of my consciousness. It could not be avoided anymore.

 

About twelve years ago, I had a skincare company with my best friend. We were one of the very first green skin care products that also tried to make it glamorous. We were fond of saying- "If you aren't part of the solution, you are part of the problem." We meant it- we were all about natural ingredients, and touting that it was actually a beauty enhancing endevor to be part of the solution.

 

So here was that little phrase, come back to haunt me. Part of the solution. For all my good intentions, I was deeply embedded in the problem, if not even a bit of a cheerleader for it.

 

 What now? I am a self proclaimed hater of vegetables, although truth be told, there are a few exceptions. Fruit, vegetables, and water have not been a part of my diet as an adult, excpet on rare occasions. At restaurants, when they ask if I would like still or sparkling water, I cheekily reply- "I dont drink water! I'll have a coke." Once, at a rib joint in Humble, Texas, where we had a long layover coming back from Belize (Humble being the closest town with the cheapest motel) the girl behind the counter asked what vegetable I would like. In true form, I quipped, "I don't eat vegetables." She didn't bat an eye. And it occurred to me that those were my people- these giant ribs and buckets of coke were their main fare. I wasn't so sure I wanted to be one of them. I ignored that thought wholeheartedly.

 

So- I am a great experiment. The worst case scenario, and with other issues that make it daunting to try to eat better- eating with a social consciousness is NOT CHEAP, right? And it requires a lot more preparation and thought- how am I supposed to do this when I am a totally single parent of two teenage girls and work full time?

 

I will tell you how I did it. In fact, I will chronicle how I am doing it, and how I became an urban farmer and beekeeper to boot. That's the point of this blog.